Tips on How to Travel Safe During a Pandemic
The year 2020 has been really hard for a number of reasons. I love to travel, but with the Covid-19 pandemic going on, traveling has been put on the back burner. Now that summer is going, people have been getting out and traveling a little more often. How can you stay safe AND travel during this time? It is possible, but you need to be careful and maybe change some of your normal travel plans. Here are a few tips that can keep you safe while you travel during a pandemic.
- Avoid transportation with people outside of your living space. The best way to travel during a pandemic is with people that you live with at your own home, limiting your exposure to new germs. Traveling in your own car is the best way to travel right now.
- Lodging. Limiting shared space is what you want to do when thinking about your lodging. Camping is a great vacation idea during a pandemic. Staying outdoors and away from a lot of people will keep you away from a lot of germs. You could also look into renting houses on VRBO or Airbnb. These places have mandatory cleaning protocols which will keep you healthy. I recently returned from Oregon, where they required a good 24 hour vacancy requirement for each rental. So besides the sanitizing and cleaning, they also had it vacant for that time, which is a great precaution. Staying away from busy city hotels is ideal.
- Eat outside and away from others. Most of the time when you travel you rely on eating out at restaurants and shopping at stores. Limit your exposure by grabbing take out and eating outside on the grass. Bring a blanket and enjoy eating your meals outside and away from people. You can also plan to bring most of your food items with you, if possible. If you do need to shop, try to limit it to just once on your vacation. If you are renting a house, then try to do most of your cooking at the house, limiting your outings to busy restaurants.
- Avoid crowded places. This is the best rule of thumb during a pandemic. You don’t need to be in crowded areas when you travel. When we travel we try to do limited stops on our way to our destination. At our new destinations we try and find new hikes to go on or new biking trails to explore.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself that Might Save You Money While Thrift Shopping
We are all friends here, right? You all know that I am a big time deal seeker. I love love love a good deal and I have a hard time saying no to a great deal. I will acknowledge though that I have been known to, *gasp* waste money by grabbing a great deal that I didn’t necessarily need.
That’s right, my friends. For years and years I have done everything I can to save money, but here I am admitting to wasting money. It happens. I have learned my lesson though, I now have a system that I follow when it comes to thrift and deal shopping.
3 Questions to Ask Yourself that Might Save You Money While Thrift Shopping
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself that might save you money while thrift shopping:
Do I love it? Do I love this item? I ask myself this question each and every time I am thinking about buying anything. Whether it is an article of clothing or a new piece of wall decor, I need to love it in order to buy it.
Will I actually wear/use it? I may love a beautiful gown, but will I actually wear it? The answer to that is definitely no. I have very few uses for such a dress. That didn’t stop me from buying dresses like this in the past because of how cheap they have been, but they are still hanging in my closet. I have yet to head to a ball that I need a fancy gown for.
Could I sell it for this price? I love reselling. It’s a thrilling way to make money and I use this when I am buying something for myself as well. If I am looking at an item or an article of clothing to buy for myself, I always ask myself “Could I sell it for this price?” If the answer is yes, then I buy. I don’t feel guilty splurging on myself if I know that I can easily make my money back.
What are your tricks for saving money while thrift and deal shopping?
Christmas In July – Ways to Celebrate!
Have you heard about Christmas in July? It’s a fun tradition that started back in 1933 when Keystone Camp in Brevard, N.C. decided to dedicate two days to the holiday (July 24th and 25th). They’ve even come out with a movie called Christmas in July if you’re looking for a fun movie to watch. So how do you celebrate? Here’s what we plan to do and a few other fun ideas you can put together that don’t require buying gifts:
Bake Christmas Cookies – this is a holiday tradition in our house and one we plan on doing this Christmas in July. We’ll be baking up our favorite sugar cookies that are shaped in fun Christmas shapes and decorating them with frosting and sprinkles to gift to neighbors and family.
Decorations – This might be a pain if your Christmas decorations are tucked away and hard to get to but if not it would be so fun to pull out a couple of Christmas decorations like the stockings, lights and even the Christmas Tree. Ours are a little difficult to get to so we plan on pulling out our Christmas lights and stringing them around the house to bring in the Christmas spirit.
Music & Movies– Turn up the Christmas tunes and have a dance party! We plan on having Christmas music blaring in the car and the house for those two days! I’m definitely excited for this one but the hubby, not so much 
We’ll also be watching one of our favorite Christmas movies, The Grinch! And don’t worry, I’ll be watching a Christmas hallmark movie once the kids are in bed, with HOT CHOCOLATE!
Elf on the Shelf – this could be a great reminder to the kids that Santa is always watching! If you do Elf on the Shelf, you should bring him back for these couple of days as a cute way to add to the Christmas spirit! He could hang by the pool or have everything out to make snow cones. There’s some fun ideas you can do for those couple of days.
3 Tips for Keeping Your Car Clean
As a busy mom, I feel like my car never gets the attention it deserves. I mean, seriously, this thing may as well be a taxi as often as I am driving people around in it. Honestly, once I finally get home, the last thing I want to do is spend more time in my car lol. That is why for the longest time, my car was always messy. It drove my husband crazy, but the reality is, the kids are in my car most of the time. Not his. It’s easy for his car to stay clean. But because I agreed with him on how messy my car was, I decided to make some changes in how we take car of the car and now it is a much cleaner and more calm place to spend so much of our time.
If you are looking for tips for keeping your car clean, check out the changes I made that have made all the difference for us.
3 Tips for Keeping Your Car Clean
Make the kids take Stuff Out with Them After Every Drive
Create a habit with yourself and your children that as soon as you pull into your driveway, you grab anything that was brought into the car during that drive. This alone can save a tremendous amount of clutter. This means backpacks if they are coming from school, fast food wrappers in case you hit the drive through on the road, or water bottles from staying hydrated.
Get a Trash Can for the Car
Did you know that they make trash cans specifically for cars? They do! These spill proof, often close-able containers allow you to toss trash in it’s space right away instead of letting it sit on the floor or in your vehicle’s storage spaces.
Vacuum Your Car Regularly
Having a nicely vacuumed car feels good. It honestly makes you appreciate your mess free space. That’s why you should schedule in regular cleaning for your car just like you schedule in regular maintenance. I now vacuum my car every 4-6 weeks and have found it so useful! When the kids are in a clean car, they stay more motivated to keep it that way (plus, mom getting mad about them messing it up again probably doesn’t hurt their motivation lol).
3 Tips for Saving Time on Housework
As a busy mom, I feel like I spend half of my life cooking and cleaning house or chasing after my family cleaning up after them. I love them, therefore I don’t hate it, but I would enjoy doing the cleaning part a little less often.
I’m sure you understand where I am coming from. It’s exhausting! If you are in the same boat as me and you are ready to start saving time on housework, check out these 3 tips that I promise will help you! I started following these tips a couple of years ago and boy oh boy it has changed my life.
3 Tips for Saving Time on Housework
Have a Cleaning Day
Schedule a spring cleaning type day and get everything in order. I’m talking about one of those days where you toss stuff out, you donate other stuff and you put stuff in storage.
Get Rid of Some Stuff
Let’s be honest here, most of us have way too much stuff (as you will see during your cleaning day). Don’t be afraid to toss out some stuff. The reality is, keeping a house will less stuff makes it much easier to keep it clean.
Do Freezer Cleaning
You may not think that a day spent cleaning is going to be helpful in saving you time on housework, you are wrong. A day full of freezer cooking will create lots of dishes and a messy kitchen, yes, but after that? Very few dishes for the time period that you have meals in the freezer. I prefer to use handi-foil type pans for my meal prep, because they can just be tossed in the trash later on. It may not be ideal all the time, but sometimes a mama has to pick her battles. Scrubbing baked-on foods is not a battle I like to fight.
Chores
Make your kids do chores. It will make your life easier and it will help teach them life skills that they need to learn anyway.
How To Save Money For a Down Payment on a House!
It can seem like a big dream of owning your own home and thinking about saving up for a good down payment can seem even more overwhelming. I’m here to tell you, it’s possible. It will take discipline, patience and sacrifice but YOU CAN DO IT! Here are some simple yet effective ways you can save up money for a down payment on a home.
Automatic Savings Payments
The paycheck comes in and it’s exciting to see. But expenses come up and the money disappears faster than it came in. That’s why it’s important to pay yourself first and make it automatic. Set a certain amount of money aside (in a different bank account if you can) for your down payment. Remember, out of sight, out of mind.
Cut Out Extra Expense
By cutting back on your expenses, you’ll have extra money to put into your savings account. Take a look at your budget (or put one together if you don’t have one). See if there’s any wiggle room in your budget to manage to save. You could cut your Christmas/birthday budget down, wait to take that vacation, hold off on buying new clothing and anything else that isn’t essential.
Rent a Smaller Space
Not only does cutting down your budget help but cutting down on your living space could save you too. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to live with family for a bit, that could really help your savings grow fast. If not, try looking for a smaller space to rent. Sell off some of your furniture or things you don’t need and move to a smaller and cheaper place for a time just long enough to save what you need for a good down payment.
Cut Out Subscriptions/Memberships
This is a big one when it comes to saving money and living on a tight budget. Cancel the cable bill for a time, get rid of the car wash and gym memberships. There are other ways to still get a good workout in at home or wash the car by hand. These memberships alone could save you up to $100+ a month!
Meal Plan and Eat at Home
If you’re anything like me it’s difficult to want to cook dinner after a long day but skipping the drive thru and making something at home can save you big money. Especially if you cut it out completely. Plan your meals, take one shopping trip to the grocery store (because those little trips to get a couple things for dinner add up), and eat at home. I promise this sacrifice now will pay off in the long run.
Find Ways to Make More Money
Pickup up an extra job for a little bit will help the dollars roll in faster. You can offer to babysit for family and friends, mow some lawns, put together “crock pot meals” or freezer meals for others to buy, offer to detail clean cars and so many other ideas.
Even More Cheap Food Items that You Should Always Have in Your Pantry
Did you see our post the other day about cheap food items that you should always have in your pantry? Do you keep those items in your pantry? We only touched on like 3 foods in that post and I know that there are more items out there that we need to keep on hand to keep our food budget down as much as possible.
Here are even more cheap food items that you should always have in your pantry in order to be well stocked, and have a yummy menu going all week long. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I am desperate to save money and by keeping these foods on hand, it helps you to make sure that your food bill stays low! Do you want to bring down the cost of your food bill each month?
Even More Cheap Food Items that You Should Always Have in Your Pantry
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is tasty, packed with protein and one of the best things you can keep on hand in your pantry. A 16 ounce jar can cost as low as $1.50-$3 and can be used for so many things. Here are some of our favorite ways to use up PB in our family.
- Sandwiches for lunch
- PB Toast for breakfast or snack
- Added to smoothies and shakes
- Apples and PB for breakfast or snack
- Used in tasty dinners like Thai Peanut Chicken
- Desserts like cookies, brownies and energy bites
Oh, and don’t be afraid to stock up when you see a good sale. Peanut Butter is good for up to a year past the sell by date.
Pasta
Okay, here’s the deal. Due to a health issue, I cannot consume gluten so I was not planning on adding this one in. However, I still keep pasta in my pantry all the time. Pasta is quite inexpensive (you can also buy a box of pasta for less than $1), plus it’s an easy meal. You only need to top it with a quick sauce and you have a complete meal.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a family favorite around here. I buy it in bulk at my local store and store it in food storage jars and we eat oatmeal probably 3 times per week.
Oatmeal is ridiculously inexpensive (I buy it in bulk at $0.62 per pound), it lasts a very long time (up to 1 year past the sell by date, or 3 years for quick oats), and it’s full of fiber to keep you full throughout the day.
Cheap Food Items that You Should Always Have in Your Pantry
Do you want to bring down the cost of your food bill each month? You can easily do this by making sure to put your shopping focus on cheap food items that you should always have in your pantry.
If you are curious as to what the cheap food items are, look no further than this list that we have created for you.
Cheap Food Items that You Should Always Have in Your Pantry
Potatoes
Contrary to popular belief, carbs aren’t the devil for anyone and foods like potatoes are an ideal food to keep stocked in your pantry. In my area, you can buy a 5 lb bag of potatoes for roughly $3 and that one bag can create several different meals. Plus, considering that they are produce, they actually last quite a long time!
Rice
Rice is hands down one of the cheapest items that you can keep in your pantry. You can use it as a filler for many different meals and it lasts for a very long time.
I also love how diverse rice is. You can use it for a casserole dish, an amazing mexican food meal, or even an asian inspired dish. Rice can go with anything!
Dry Beans
Looking for a cheap food item that can easily be cooked and is packed full of protein? Look no further than a bag of dry beans! You can buy them for a very low price and while they do take a long time to cook, it’s pretty easy to toss them in your slow cooker and let them cook the whole day.
My kids LOVE 13 bean soup and you can buy a bag of that for less than $1. I add an onion and a little bit of spice and this lasts for 2-3 meals in my family. We do top it with a small amount of shredded cheese, but overall this is our most inexpensive meal.
How to Make a Yummy Fruit Pizza (The Perfect Summer Treat)
Now that summer is in full bloom, I’m seeing all of the yummy berries on sale. At our home, we go through berries SO fast. I’ve been wondering what to do with all of these fruits that I’ve been collecting. After seeing these fruit pizzas, I knew that’s what I had to make! It’s definitely a family favorite and one you can all enjoy.
This recipe & picture is by Simply Home Cooked. You can see her video and an easy step by step instruction on how to make it here.
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream cheese frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fruit
- Kiwi
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Mandarin oranges (my kids love these!)
- Any other fruit you enjoy
Instructions
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In a food processor, add 1 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup of cold cubed unsalted butter, 4 oz cream cheese (also cut in cubes) and then a 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
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Now snap the lid on and begin pulsing the blades. You’ll want to do about 5ish pulses or until the butter gets down to the size of a pea.
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Now add the dough into a large bowl and begin working it into a ball using your hands. It might not come together at first but have patience. Keep working it in and it will take shape as the butter slowly warms up.
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Now place your dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a disk. cover the plastic wrap around it and place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
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Meanwhile, begin working on the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, add 8 oz softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp of softened unsalted butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract
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Using an electric mixer beat all the ingredients together until it’s all well combined. Then set it aside.
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Now take your dough out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap and place it on a well floured surface.
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Then add another generous sprinkle of flour on top and begin rolling it out using a rolling pin. Roll it out to about 14 inches in diameter. The. transfer your dough into a 14-inch pizza pan.
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Generously poke the dough with a fork. Then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
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Once the sugar cookie crust has cooled Evelyn spread the cream cheese frosting on top.
- Now add the sliced strawberries, kiwi, raspberries, and blueberries on top. Eat within a few hours.
Fun Things to Make This Summer Out of PVC Pipes!
There are so many fun projects you can do this summer and tons of them can be made with PVC pipes! I’ve been busy making some cool PVC projects for us to enjoy this summer and you can too! I promise, anyone can put together these projects and they’re easy! There’s just a few tools you need and they won’t even break the bank!
These pipe cutter will make your project come together quickly! You can get them over on Amazon for $25.99 or check with your local hardware store. So are you ready for some easy and cool projects make this weekend?
This one is what I put together this last week. The kids LOVE it! The purpose was so we could put it over the tarp the kids use as a slip and slide so they’d have constant water flow and it works amazing!
Here’s another great idea for your summer fun! Put together a Backyard Movie Screen! I follow these same instructions to put together one. They’re super easy to follow and only took a couple hours all together!
This will be a hit for the kids! And they’ll hold up a ton better than the cheap ones you can buy! Make these easy water PVC squirt guns! They’re basically a large syringe and will give your kids hours of fun!
These summer camping chairs are perfect to take out camping, to the parade, beach and everywhere else you go this summer! And even better, they’re only about $6 a piece! This is one project that will get a lot of use out of!
Our neighbors built this awesome car wash for one of their kids birthday and it’s been a big hit in the neighborhood. They bring it out for the kids to run through in the grass or put it over the sidewalk so they can drive their bikes and other ride toys through. It’s all little more labor but so worth it!
Hopefully these projects will get your mind turning. There’s soooo many fun things out there you can create!
5 Fun Ways to Celebrate the 4th of July While Social Distancing
The 4th of July is tomorrow! Are you ready? This year is totally different than in years past. We won’t be having parades, fireworks or bbqs due to the pandemic. However, we can still have a great holiday by being a little more creative. Here are 5 fun ideas you could do to celebrate the 4th!
- Go on a family hike or walk. Try finding one that you have never been on. Stay with your core family to stop the spread of the germs. If you live in Utah, you should totally try out Silver Lake up Big Cottonwood Canyon. It’s one of our family favorites. Bring some fun snacks and make it a fun time.
- Watch Fireworks from your car or park. Check your local city and see where you can go to see fireworks. I know they are limited this year, but we have a few options near us. I think it would be so fun to find a parking spot where you can see them and pull up your car or a truck and watch from there.
- Minute to Win it Games. We have the 4th of July tradition of doing Minute to Win it games with our extended family. This year we are not getting together, but you could totally still do this with your own little family. You could even do a zoom meeting and do the games together. They are always a hit!
- Social Distancing BBQ. If you plan to get together, then follow the CDC guidelines so we can all stop the spread of the Covid-19. Some ways you can do this is to have the BBQ outside, sit 6 feet apart, bring your own food as well as plates and utensils. Basically don’t share food and stay somewhat apart. If that’s not possible, consider postponing your BBQ.
- Make new patriotic foods. This is something that is super fun to do for any holiday. Check Pinterest and see what new foods you could try to celebrate with red, white and blue. Have the kids get into it as well and have them pick something.
EASY Patriotic Foods to Make This 4th of July!
I’m finding this 4th of July I’m having to work a little harder to put together some fun ways we can celebrate. The parades have been canceled this year thanks to Covid, our annual 4th of July BBQ isn’t happening and firework shows are limited, so what are we going to do? Well, we’re going to create our own fun right at home, including the food menu! Here’s some fun ways you can celebrate the 4th of July with these patriotic food ideas!
I love how simple these are but add that patriotic touch! The kids are going to love the sprinkles as well.
I mean you can’t have the 4th of July BBQ without the watermelon so why not dress it up for your family this year!
We’re excited for these this year since we just put a fire pit in but you could even make yours in the oven (just don’t put the cheese on until after ).
This is one of my all time favorite desserts! Make it easy and just get the pre-made sugar cookie dough at your local grocery store!
Tips for Having a Great BBQ
Are you planning a fun, yet socially responsible BBQ this weekend? Whether or not you are planning to have friends and family over, or you are celebrating with just those in your household, you probably want to have a fun time grilling up your favorite holiday foods.
Regardless if your 4th of July looks different or not, these tips for having a great BBQ will help you enjoy yourself and your time this weekend.
Tips for Having a Great BBQ
Plan your menu
You don’t want to wake up on the day of to try and figure out what you are going to be grilling. Start planning your menu right now so that you can spend the next couple of days prepping. Then, on Saturday, you can wake up and toss food on the grill! I love an easy, relaxing holiday celebration, don’t you?
Clean Your Kitchen
No one wants to play host with a dirty kitchen. No one wants to go to a BBQ hosted by someone with a dirty kitchen. Frankly, it’s a pain in the butt to host any kind of gathering and work in the kitchen while avoiding the mess. Clean your kitchen in advance and you will be far less stressed out.
Break Out the Disposable Dishes
I get why people don’t love paper plates and other disposable dishes, but let’s be real here. You are trying to celebrate a holiday and I highly doubt you want to spend your day washing dishes. I know I don’t. I wash dishes every single day of my life. I want a break from it once in a while, so on days like the 4th, I allow myself to indulge in disposable dishes.
Relax
Seriously, we have had a stressful year so far. It’s time for each of us to relax and unwind. We all deserve a stress free celebratory weekend!
Tips for Keeping Your House Clean
Are you tired of spending your evenings cleaning your house? I like my evenings to be restful, but with 3 kids, it’s almost never restful because I spend all of my evenings cleaning up after them.
If you are tired of spending so much time doing housework, these tips for keeping your house clean will help keep you more relaxed and doing less dirty work!
Tips for Keeping Your House Clean
Keep Wastebaskets on Hand
If your kids are anything like mine, it’s surprisingly easy for them to just leave their wrappers all around the house. Keeping wastebaskets on hand throughout your house can help your family clean up after themselves easily. With a wastebasket near them, they have no excuse to leave their trash.
Focus On Your Kitchen
Let’s be real here. Our kitchens are the hub of our home. If the hub of your home is messy, it is far more likely that the rest of the house will be. I have noticed this to be true. I like to start my day with a clean kitchen and I know that when the kitchen is clean, I work harder to make sure that the rest of the house follows suit.
Another kitchen related tip is to use disposable pans when you cook. They are quite cost-effective and let’s face it. It’s really nice to just toss the pan in the trash then try to scrub them clean. If you have a lot going on, don’t be afraid to use disposable dishes too. Sometimes we just need a break!
Make It A Family Rule
Make housework a family activity and make sure the entire family pitches in. I have a teenage boy that complains ALL THE TIME about housework. I used to just send him to his room because I didn’t want to hear about it, but I have since learned the error of my ways. I now make him join in every single day and boy has it made a difference in how clean our house stays. Additionally, since he knows I am going to make him do it anyway, he now cleans his room every single morning before I ask.
4 Cherry Recipes You’ve Got to Try this Summer
Guys. This year, my in-laws had a cherry tree full to the brim with absolutely perfect cherries. No worm or anything. I’ll admit, I’m not a super cherry fan, but these recipes that I found definitely have me drooling. Plus, you should start seeing cherries on sale in your local stores in the next few weeks.
- Cherry Pie Crumb Bars Recipe by Crunchy, Creamy, Sweet.
- Cherry Turnovers by Savory Bites Recipes
- Homemade Cherry Sorbet by For the Love of Food!
- Cherry Pie by Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
I love baking something new for the 4th of July. This year will be totally different since we don’t have parades, fireworks or family get togethers. However, you can still bake and make some yummy food! So choose one…or all of these recipes and get cooking!